Insider's Tea Time

By Nao H. Kauffman
Chief Editor

After a busy week with deadlines, we finally get a little break before we have to get back to work. I stopped by the local sweet shop, MIYAKIN (みやきん) where they sell Japanese sweets, cakes and many other delicacies. I decided to share the reward with my co-workers and tried a new type of doughnut called “baked doughnuts” (Yaki doughnuts 焼きドーナツ.) The plain flavor is 130 yen, and 150 yen for chocolate, black currant, green tea, etc. These doughnuts became popular because they are easy to make, are healthier than regular fried doughnuts and have less calories. To get to Miyakin, simply drive out the POL gate and turn right at the second LAWSON on your right and soon make a left at the corner of the Japanese kindergarten. The decorated shop with their green sign across from the school can be easily found. The clerk will offer you a cup of complimentary soba (buckwheat) tea while you are taking your time deciding on your choices. They now have a new item called Miss Match. It is a pie which wraps around yomogi (an aromatic plant) rice cakes and has sweet red beans inside. Here is the plain baked doughnuts recipe from http://allabout.co.jp.

1. Mix the powders and sift them for fineness.
2. Leave the butter at room temperature to soften and mix it with the sugar by using a mixer until it becomes creamy.
3. Put the powder into a bowl and gently mix it.
4. Wrap the mix with saran wrap and cool it for 20 minutes in the refrigerator.
5. Stretch out the covered wrapped mix and cut into doughnut shapes.
6. Heat the oven at 180 degrees Centigrade and bake for 10 minutes.
7. After cooling, decorate the top of the doughnuts, as you prefer.
Let's have tea time!